Organics Recycling FAQs

• What will be the size of my organics cart? Due to the weight of organics, 65-gallon carts will be the only size available.

• Can I use regular plastic bags to collect organics? Yes. Plastic bags are acceptable. You are not required to bag your organics, but if you choose to, compostable bags or paper bags are preferable.

• Is it okay to place FOG (Fats, oils and grease) into my green container? Yes, it is okay to place small amounts of fats, oils and grease into the green container, as well as the paper towels used to soak them up. If you have large amounts of fats, oil and grease, it should be placed in a sealed container and dropped off at the District for proper recycling.

• Does pet waste go into the green container? Yes.It is okay to put dog waste into the green container, however bagged cat waste and litter should be placed into the black container.

• How is organics recycling different from backyard composting? You can compost more materials with organics recycling than in your backyard compost bin because large-scale commercial composting facilities maintain higher temperatures than backyard compost bins. These temperatures are needed to kill bacteria and break down items that cannot be composted in a backyard compost bin. These items include meat, bones, dairy products and compostable plastics. Backyard composting is still a great option for recycling fruit and vegetable scraps and yard waste into a soil amendment that you can use at home.

• How often is my organics cart going to be picked up? Weekly. Your collection day will remain the same. Midway City Sanitary District will be picking up organics every week on your regular collection day.

• If I don’t have much organic material, can I put my kitchen pail out for collection? No. All organic material must be placed in the green organics 65-gallon cart for efficient collection.

• Where can I get a food waste pail? You may use any small bucket, ice cream pail, or container with a lid for collecting food waste. Look online or check with your favorite local store if you wish to purchase your own indoor collection bin.

• Can I use my garbage disposal for organic waste? Putting organic waste down the garbage disposal places extra processing burdens on wastewater treatment facilities. It takes energy and resources to process out solids including food waste at wastewater treatment plants. Organics recycling is a better option as finished compost and puts valuable nutrients back into the soil.

• What happens to the organic material once it has been collected? Organic waste collected in MCSD's service area is taken to CR&R's Anaerobic Digestion (AD) Facility in Perris, CA. The anaerobic digester is a state of the art technology that will convert green waste and food scraps into renewable natural gas.

• Will my organics recycling container smell? Organics won't smell any more than your regular garbage smells. Remember that with organics recycling, you're simply moving the organic materials from your garbage (black) cart into your organics (green) cart. Consider collecting your "wet" organics (food scraps) in a large container or pail. One option is to keep that container in your refrigerator or freezer until your trash pickup day. Simply dump the wet organics into a bag and place the bag in your organics cart before collection.

• What goes into the the new green organic container? Yard waste such as grass clippings, plants, leaves, weeds, twigs, small branches, etc. Food waste such as leftovers, sauces, eggshells, coffee grounds and their filters, peels, pits and seeds, meats, fish, poultry and their bones and skin, pasta, bread, rice, etc. Dog waste also goes into the green container and paper towels used to soak up fats, oils and grease. Please note that large amounts of fats, oil and grease should be placed into a container and brought to the District for proper recycling.

• What about the black container now that I have a green container? There are very few items that will go into your black or brown container now that you have a green container. Bagged cat waste and litter, bathroom waste such as sanitary items, disposable diapers, and medications (see disposal of medication).